The 2nd Ammendment Doesn't apply to modern technology.

[cOoTeR]

I'm gonna change my name to osumjchick or osumjgirl.

If you do that be prepared for the leg humping.

[ReconRat]

Does anyone realize that back in colonial days, all the ship board cannons were privately owned and operated?

There are no limits. Period. Just regulation.

[cg2112]

Huh, what? The Bill of Rights came into effect in 1791. The first true machine gun by any standard was the hand cranked Gatling gun. That wasn't invented until 1861.

Really hoping you just worded that wrong, otherwise you been fed some very poor information.

The Belton Flintlock could fire four rounds a second, and was introduced to the Congress by it's inventor, Joseph Belton. They ordered a hundred of them, too, but then cancelled the order because they were too expensive. This was in 1777.

[jbot]

lol this is probably the funniest gun "debate" thread yet

[cg2112]

Does anyone realize that back in colonial days, all the ship board cannons were privately owned and operated?

There are no limits. Period. Just regulation.

I don't know that this is true. The Congress approved and paid for many ships during the Revolutionary War - I've never heard that they only armed them with privately owned weapons.

[Gixxus Christ!]

The Belton Flintlock could fire four rounds a second, and was introduced to the Congress by it's inventor, Joseph Belton. They ordered a hundred of them, too, but then cancelled the order because they were too expensive. This was in 1777.

The Belton worked like a Roman candle. 'machinegun' requires that there be a machine involved somewhere in the automatic operation.

[swingset]

I don't know that this is true. The Congress approved and paid for many ships during the Revolutionary War - I've never heard that they only armed them with privately owned weapons.

There were both congressionally owned/funded warships and privateers with Letters of Marquee (outfitted with privately held cannon).

There were also limited numbers of privately owned artillery pieces during the war. I've read that Nathaniel Greene paid for some himself, and retained them after the war and I'm sure he was not alone in that.

The whole point of this was that even during their times significant military advancements were being made and most all of them were aware of technologies on the horizon that would mean greater firepower. Most of the developments were merely too expensive or cumbersome for the battlefield, but they KNEW those things existed and the 2nd was written to protect those items, not to inhibit their ownership.

Arms meant weapons of war, to fight the same weapons as an invader or oppressor, even to include artillery....clearly.

[ReconRat]

I don't know that this is true. The Congress approved and paid for many ships during the Revolutionary War - I've never heard that they only armed them with privately owned weapons.

I thought that also. But then I realized the fledgling country of USA did not have a Navy. So it's a moot point.